Tenvoonl Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Review: Cheaper Everything
Purchase Price: $30.00
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The Tenvoonl Joy-Pad controller provides an affordable alternative to the much higher priced OEM Joy-Con controllers sold by Nintendo. However, after spending some time with these, there's a reason why this controller is priced the way it is. While some products on Amazon outperform their price tag, is this a classic tale of “you get what you paid for?”
What’s In The Box
It just says Game Pad.
First off, the package says it all, or the lack of information to be precise. This generic box the controller comes in has no information regarding the maker nor a model type. It simply reads Game Pad Controller. Aside from the pair of controllers, the package includes a pair of wrist loops and one comfort grip specifically designed for only this controller. Upon first picking them up out of the box, the quality feels substantially lower than that of the original Joy-Cons. While the OEM Joy-Cons aren’t the heaviest things in the world, the Tenvoonl feels like a paperclip in the hand by comparison.
Stacking It Up To the original
From a distance, the left and right controllers do resemble that of the OEM Joy-Cons. Even the yellow and lime green colors somewhat match the Nintendo color palette. The comfort grip is a bit strange in shape though. When the two are plugged into it, the three pieces combine to form a rectangularly boxy shape that is funky to see and hold.
Connecting these controllers to the Switch is seamless, but it seems to time out after the game is paused for some time. It requires you to reconnect it again in the menu instead of automatically picking up from sleep. This is one more thing you have to do before resuming your game. That is extremely tedious and clashes with the nature of the Nintendo Switch which allows players to pick up and continue gaming at any time. This seems to be a budgeting issue with regards to the receiver chips this Chinese company decided to use.
As mentioned earlier, I could definitely feel the quality difference when holding these next to the original. That’s to be expected, but this is significantly drastic in difference. They feel very flimsy and hollow, especially when they are attached to the included comfort grip. They are also not compatible with Nintendo’s comfort grip as it rattles around in place. That means this mold, at least, isn’t an exact replica of the Joy-Cons. That could be a good thing, but in this case it’s actually a bad thing. When you’re buying cheaper controllers, I think everyone is just hoping to get something as close to the real thing without paying the OEM prices.
Usability
The buttons don't feel as tactile as the originals do and the joysticks' performance is not as precise as they should be. This is more noticeable with certain games like kart racers. Those issues along with poor design ergonomics on the included comfort grip makes it hard to make precise movements and maneuver around obstacles in a game. Not only does it not feel as natural in your hands as the original Joy-Cons, but to put it bluntly, it is just not very comfortable to hold. It feels even more awkward to hold when trying to execute combinations of several consecutive buttons at the same time.
Furthermore, its vibration is way too intrusive during gameplay. It vibrates so harshly to the point that others around the controller can hear it vibrating like a cellphone notification set to the loudest setting. Also, after playing for some time, the vibration causes slight numbness to the hands due to the harshness of the motion.
Worth It?
Besides the $30 affordable price point this controller sits at, it’s hard to find much to like here. At that point, I guess I should give this credit when they at least match the OEM controllers in a certain category. For example, the longevity of the battery off a charge seems to be comparable to the original Joy-Cons. Roughly 10 hours or so of gameplay seems to be reasonable here. Charging also works the same way as with any other controller. It takes a couple hours to charge up to 100%.
Despite its low price point, I can't recommend these to someone who plays constantly or appreciates the accuracy of the gyro on the original Nintendo Joy-Cons. While Tenvoonl advertises 6-axis gyro performance, the results just aren’t there in everyday gameplay. After using these for some time, I found myself automatically reaching for the real controllers from Nintendo. They're just more comfortable and easier to hold when playing for an extended amount of time. It’s roughly a $50 difference between these off-brand controllers and the OEM Joy-Cons. I absolutely think that is a $50 well spent if you do find yourself in a position to afford them. However, if you're not playing too often or you plan on using these controllers infrequently, make sure your opponent gets them while you get to use the OEM Joy-Cons. Your likelihood of winning the matchup will go up tremendously!
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Ben
The complex integration of buildings and automobiles always intrigued Ben. So much so that he dedicated his life to further his knowledge of technological development in building design. Whether he’s on a job site with new homes or in a studio designing a home, Ben understands the smarts required inside a home.